Mayor Bloomberg has taken his mission to whip New Yorkers into shape to a new level, literally. At a press conference yesterday, Bloomberg announced his newest anti-obesity effort, which involves a series of initiatives designed to encourage New Yorkers to just take the damn stairs already. The Mayor himself told reporters that he leads by example, explaining, "I have five floors in my house, and I just take the stairs."...

...“New York City has been a leader when it comes to promoting healthier eating and now we’re leading when it comes to encouraging physical activity as well,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “Physical activity and healthy eating are the two most important factors in reducing obesity and these steps are part of our ongoing commitment to fighting this epidemic.”...

... “We know that regular stair use increases physical activity and active stairways are one of many ways we are creating a healthy environment,” said Deputy Mayor Gibbs. “As a result of these initiatives, hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers may now take the stairs, saving the equivalent of 500,000 pounds of weight among adult New Yorkers annually.”...

88 Year Old Roosevelt Island resident Ethel Romm can attest to the benefits of walking the stairs instead of taking the elevator. Ms. Romm explained during the June 26 meeting of the Roosevelt Island Women's Health Organization (RIWHO) that she climbs 20 flights of stairs daily. Ms. Romm told the RIWHO members that after a little while of climbing the stairs of her apartment building:

amazing things start to happen

to her health.

Listen to Ms. Romm:

Perhaps Ms. Romm should be the spokesperson for Mayor Bloomberg's stair walking initiative.

Some folks over at Fox News did not appreciate Mayor Bloomberg's stair walking proposal.

3
comments
:

Heather Wolfe Taylor
said...

A ridiculously large number of young, able-bodied, unencumbered people wait for the elevator at the Roosevelt Island subway station. I am amazed, and I always want to shout "It's escalators ALL THE WAY UP! You don't have to walk at all!!"

Totally agreed. It was frustrating when my kids were still in a stroller. I actually had to compete with others for a spot. At one time I made the "mistake" to let an elderly lady out first and in return I lost my spot to tens of able-bodied people. I had to wait for the next elevator. On the other hand there is this obnoxious older woman here on RI who rides her bicycle all the time. Nothing wrong with that but... One day at the 63rd St stop she insisted that people get out of the elevator so she and her bicycle could get in. She blocked the door until I suggested to call upstairs for the cops to figure out what's next. Stupid people.

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Roosevelt Island is a mixed income, racially diverse waterfront community situated in the East River of New York City between Manhattan and Queens and is jurisdictionally part of Manhattan. The Roosevelt Island Tramway, which connects Roosevelt Island to the rest of Manhattan, has become the iconic symbol of Roosevelt Island to its residents.

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